Pineapple Persuasion

I anointed this smooth, tropical cocktail with that moniker because after one of these babies, you can get people to do just about anything for you.

Smile giddily no matter what foolish nonsense you say? Check.

Forget their worries completely? You betcha.

Invite you on a cruise around the world aboard a luxury yacht complete with private chef and spa butler? OK, maybe not. But you never know if you don’t try, right?

Admittedly, my hubby and I are mostly wine drinkers at home. But when a sample of Van Gogh Pineapple Vodka arrived in the mail, we decided it was high-time for cocktail hour in our humble abode.

We invited some foodie friends over to take a sip or two or three or….

Pineapple vodka immediately brought to mind pineapple juice and fresh pineapple. Thus was born the “Pineapple Persuasion,” a fruity, twangy, just-sweet-enough blend of pineapple juice, pineapple vodka, lime juice, and sugar. Because I had kaffir lime leaves handy, I threw them into the pitcher to infuse. Fresh mint leaves would be another nice option.

The cocktail is shaken until very cold and a little foamy, then served in a martini glass rimmed in sugar and adorned with a fresh wedge of pineapple.

Somehow, I don’t think it will require much persuading at all for you to kick back with one.

Pineapple Persuasion

(makes 12 cocktails; recipe can be halved, too)

3 cups pineapple juice

3 cups pineapple vodka or regular vodka

6-7 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice

Lime wedges

About 1 1/2 cups sugar

About 5 kaffir lime leaves or some fresh mint leaves

Ice

Fresh pineapple, cored, and cut into small wedges

In a pitcher, mix pineapple juice, pineapple vodka, lime juice, and kaffir lime leaves or mint leaves. Use a wooden spoon to bruise the herbs a little so they better infuse into the cocktail mixture. Refrigerate for a couple of hours, until very cold.

Rub rims of martini glasses with lime wedge. Pour sugar into a plate; dip rims of martini glasses into the sugar. Fill a shaker with ice. Add some of the cocktail mixture. Shake vigorously, then strain into martini glasses. Garnish edge of each glass with a wedge of fresh pineapple.

Leftoverist: Chocolate kaffir ice cream? That sounds amazing. I’ve had star anise-chocolate ice cream, but never any with kaffir lime leaves. How intriguing!

OysterCulture: I wish my backyard were large enough to accommodate a kaffir lime tree. I hear the fragrance it gives off is just unbelievable. This time around, I only managed to have some of the leaves around because they were leftover from another recipe. 😉

This is my kind of drink! One of my favorites was the Knockout at Sullivan’s – a pineapple-infused vodka cocktail that was so deliciously sweet and fruity that you didn’t realize it packed a punch until it knocked you out! I wouldn’t mind a glass or two of Pineapple Persuasion this weekend.